UNISSA SAP students join International Conference 2014

SULTAN Sharif Ali Islamic University (UNISSA) students undergoing the Study Abroad Program (SAP) at IIUM yesterday participated in the International Conference 2014 organised by the Student Exchange Programme of Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

The Conference discussed the legal system in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei to the benefit of the Ummah, while also highlighting the differences as well as the pros and cons of both the federal and unitary system. Taking part at the conference were panellists from four different universities, namely Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University, International Islamic University of Malaysia, Islamic Science University of Malaysia as well as Universiti Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Also attending was Muhammad Danny bin Aimi, Attache Officer of Brunei High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

Among the topics presented at the conference were ‘The Overview of the Malaysian Constitutional Monarchy System and the power of Sultan’, ‘The Advantages and the Challenges of the Malaysian Constitutional Monarchy System’ as well as ‘The Indonesian Unitary System’.

Sabrina binti Haji Mahmud, and Hajah Siti Mu’izzah in a group photo with the conference panellists. – PHOTO COURTESY OF UNISSA

Meanwhile, Panellists representing UNISSA were the current third year undergraduates in Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Bachelor of Shariah Law (BSL), Sabrina binti Haji Mahmud, and Hajah Siti Mu’izzah respectively. They presented a joint-working paper titled “Brunei Legal System and the Powers of the Sultan”.

The panellists mentioned that being a unitary country, the system of government in Brunei is that of an absolute monarchy whereby His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has absolute executive and legislative powers. They also detailed out on how the judicial system in Brunei works, and that the jurisdiction of Syariah Courts continues to widen with the Implementation of the Syariah Penal Code Order, 2013.

This half-day conference ended with the presentation of token of appreciation by the Conference Coordinator, Dr Zaid bin Mohamad, Assistant Professor (Islamic Law), IIUM to the panelists. Sabrina binti Haji Mahmud of UNISSA and Mohammad Aizat Shamsuddin of USIM were awarded the Best Speaker of the conference.